Battle of Luoyang

The Battle of Luoyang was a disastrous attempt by Cao Cao's pro-Emperor Shao army to kill or capture Dong Zhuo, whose forces had sacked Luoyang and were planning to retreat to Chang'an with the emperor. Cao Cao was wounded and the Han army was dealt a horrible defeat.

Background
As the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition closed in on Luoyang, Dong Zhuo decided to move the capital to Chang'an. Setting fire to the palace, he looted anything of value from the city and abandoned it. When the Allied forces entered the desolate Luoyang, they lost their sense of unity and did not have the desire to pursue Dong Zhuo. Having achieved some success in battle, Cao Cao ignored Yuan Shao's orders to desist and chased after Dong Zhuo.

Battle
Cao Cao, bolstered by Zhang Miao's forces under General Wei Zi, pursued Dong Zhuo's troops, meeting them on a bank of the Bian River near Xingyang. The frontiersmen in Dong Zhuo's army fought a well-planned rearguard action and Wei Zi was killed, his force routing. Cao Cao was hit by an arrow to the chest, and when his cousin Cao Hong offered him his horse, he refused, but Cao Cao later accepted and Cao Hong led his own rearguard action that covered the retreat to Sunzao, leaving Dong Zhuo's army intact.